Badwater Twilight Star Reflection
Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park. The fairly rare water on the salt flats ended up being the biggest attraction on this trip, and with mild temperatures and little wind, it stuck around for over a week. the salt polygon patterns are caused via thermal expansion cracks in the rock salt, which allow salty water from the shallow water table below to seep up via capillary action. As it dries, it leaves raised polygons of salt. They can be an inch or two high, or sometimes 8-10" high!
Badwater Twilight Star Reflection
Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park. The fairly rare water on the salt flats ended up being the biggest attraction on this trip, and with mild temperatures and little wind, it stuck around for over a week. the salt polygon patterns are caused via thermal expansion cracks in the rock salt, which allow salty water from the shallow water table below to seep up via capillary action. As it dries, it leaves raised polygons of salt. They can be an inch or two high, or sometimes 8-10" high!